The satellite service, which has been under development for the past few years, was designed for residents, small businesses and indigenous communities in rural and remote Australia who can’t currently access broadband services comparable to those available in metropolitan areas.

   NBN said it will offer retail connectivity providers a wholesale broadband service with peak access speeds of 6Mbps downlink and 1Mbps uplink, and that the interim satellite service will be in a ramp-up phase until November when additional capacity, a wider range of plans and more service providers are expected to be available.

   “The interim satellite service will ensure broadband will reach those who need it the most so that they too can become active participants in the digital economy,” NBN CEO Mike Quigley said in a statement. “The retail service providers running the trial Interim Satellite Service with some of their existing customers have reported some very positive responses. For those eligible people on copper-based dial-up services, the interim satellite service will be a whole new experience.”

   In May, NBN contracted satellite operator Optus to provide the interim satellite service in a deal worth up to $200 million. Australian Minister of Broadband, Communications and Digital Economy Sen. Stephen Conroy approved the contract. The Interim Satellite Service is scheduled to run until 2015 when NBN plans to launch two of its own high-capacity satellites to provide a long-term satellite service that will aim to offer retail service providers a wholesale broadband service designed for peak access speeds of 12Mbps downlink.

   “Optus’ interim satellite service is an exciting next step in the rollout of the NBN that will allow tens of thousands of underserved Australians the opportunity to access fast and affordable broadband at speeds they have never before had available to them. The new service represents a substantial improvement in speed and performance over satellite services currently available under the Australian Broadband Guarantee (ABG),” Conroy said.

   Australian applicants can use an on-line broadband services locator to see whether there are “metro comparable” services in their area and so determine whether they are eligible for the Interim Satellite Service. NBN said the satellite equipment and installation would be provided at no cost to the customer for a standard installation.